The Retail Doctor

09/02/2026

If you can’t control it, don’t give it free rein in your brain.

09/01/2026

I was on the Ecomm Cowboy podcast Friday and they asked me about "Anything else?" and while answering, I threw in my thoughts on "Welcome in."

08/31/2026

I got promoted to a mall store.

First thing I saw: the ugliest merchandise we had, all on sale, stacked at the front door.

I rearranged the entire store. Pulled the sale signs. Re-merchandised everything.

Week one - sales up 10%. Same crew. Same merch.

Three years later I had the highest sales increase at South Coast Plaza - beating Tiffany's, beating Nordstrom. The VP came down and asked what I was doing differently.

I said: it doesn't matter what I'm selling. It matters how they feel.

That's the framework most retail stores get backwards.

They lead with what's on sale. They front the discounts. They merchandise for the margin they're trying to recover instead of the shopper they're trying to serve.

The shopper walking into your store has already decided to show up. Your job isn't to convince them to spend less. It's to understand what they came for and make them feel right about spending more.

Know your customer. Merchandise for them. Lead with your best, not your cheapest.

That's how sales go up without changing a single person on your floor.

08/30/2026

Stop selling one item at a time. Your customer came in for one thing. Your job is to sell the whole solution.

08/28/2026

Sometimes We Buy Proof

My mother's $100 piano taught me what 30 years of retail consulting couldn't say: shoppers aren't buying merchandise. Sometimes they're buying proof.

08/28/2026

This was the piano my mom left me in her will. They say it is worth about $100. I'm leaving it. I've written the story of this piano, my determined mom, my journey as a conductor and ultimately my job as a retail speaker. I titled it, "Sometimes We Buy Proof. I think it is the best writing I've done. It's long - yes and I made it this month's podcast. You can read or listen to it. I hope you'll comment after you do. Link below.

08/28/2026

“Just stop pissin’ and moanin’ about every little thing. Be a bit nicer to everyone.” -Dolly

08/27/2026

Does Retail Sales Training Work?

Retail sales training works when it's coached. We mystery shop our customers and publish the results: 100% where owners ran it under 40% where they didn't

08/26/2026

Why Is the Checkout Counter Hurting My Sales?

The retail counter is your enemy. Why selling face-to-face across a barrier feels adversarial, and how shoulder-to-shoulder selling puts shoppers at ease.

08/26/2026

How Do I Use Fitting Rooms to Grow Sales?

The sale isn't final until they try it on. Why the fitting room is an apparel store's best selling tool, and what to keep bringing while they're in there.